Medan, CNN Indonesia - Medan High Court (PT) rejected an appeal for the defamation of Meiliana religion. The woman from Tanjungbalai City, North Sumatra was still sentenced to prison for 1 year and 6 months for being proven to have committed blasphemy of Islam for protesting the call to prayer loudspeakers.

The Medan High Court judge chaired by Daliun Salian stated that Defendant Meiliana was proven intentionally in public to issue feelings or commit acts that were essentially hostile, misuse or desecration of a religion held in Indonesia as stated in Article 156 A of the Criminal Code.

"Today the case has been decided on behalf of Defendant Meiliana, which in the first instance has been decided by the Medan District Court," said PT Medan Public Relations, Adi Sutrisno after the trial at PT Medan on Thursday (10/25).

According to Adi, the PT Medan panel of judges upheld the decision of the first court, Medan District Court regarding Meiliana's 1 year and 6 month imprisonment.

Responding to the ruling, the legal counsel of the defendant Josua Rumahorbo stated that he would file another legal action. However, Josua did not want to reveal the legal steps to be taken by the Meiliana.

"So we will take legal action, coordinate first with Meiliana," he said.

Previously, in the first court, the Medan PN judges chaired by Wahyu Prasetyo Wibowo stated that Meiliana had committed a crime which was regulated and threatened with Article 156A of the Criminal Code. Meiliana was sentenced to prison for 1 year and 6 months.

Meiliana was found guilty of blasphemy because of her complaints about volume call to prayer in her area of ​​residence in Jalan Karya Lingkungan I, Tanjungbalai Kota I Village, South Tanjungbalai District, North Sumatra.

Meiliana's complaint then led to legal proceedings. On December 2, 2016, Haris Tua Marpaung officially reported the 44-year-old woman to the police. Meiliana was reported for alleged blasphemy or blasphemy.

Then on December 14, 2016, the Student Alliance and the United Independent Community (AMMIB) sent a letter of request to the Chairman of the MUI of Tanjungbalai City so that his party held an audience and issued a fatwa regarding the alleged blasphemy by Meiliana.

The Indonesian Ulema Council (MUI) Tanjungbalai immediately responded and forwarded it to the MUI of North Sumatra Province to request a fatwa. The North Sumatra MUI then held a meeting from January 7 to January 24, 2017. They produced a fatwa related to this issue.

There are three recommendations from the North Sumatra MUI in their fatwa. One of them is asking the police to immediately follow up on Meiliana's legal process in accordance with the applicable laws and regulations.

The police then investigated this case and determined Meiliana as a suspect. The police then transferred the Meiliana case file to the prosecution. The prosecutor then delegated it to court on 30 May 2018.

Meiliana then underwent an initial hearing on June 26, 2018. Prosecutors charged Meiliana with Article 156 a of the subsidiary Criminal Code Article 156 of the Criminal Code.

On August 21, 2018, the Panel of Judges then sentenced Meiliana to a guilty sentence and a 1.5-year prison sentence.